Variable-speed gearing.



E. I. HALL. I VARIABLE SPEED (BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, I914.

Patented Jan. '16, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

W v May Jwwhwv M H mm gays E. J. HALL.

VARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

APPUCATION map MAY 26. I914.

INVENTOR. 5, Hflu,

BY ATTORNEYS.

neuzstemixm ihyppiieefioe filed :52:1 28, 2.91;. Eerie 841,611

citizen of the United Stokes, end e resident of Berkeley, eounty of Aiemeie, emi 15mm or California, hove-invented certain new eno'l osefful Improvement-s in veriebie-Speeo wearing, of whloh the foiiowlng 1s a, SpQCl.-'

Toe invention reieieseo means; for shifting the gears in averiebie speedv gear se'. The oiajeob of the invention is $0 provide means for shifting theeeotrs in eveneoie speed gear set to ooiaeim (iiffereni; speed ratios of thekirivim enei dz iven elements.

Another oigjeoo oi: the invention is to provide power operaced means fog? shifting the oers. 7

A further object ofizhe invention is to provide power opereied means for shifting the goers, the init-iei. movement of the means operating to dieengegeihe enmeshed gears and the further moveme i of the means opere ting to eemeeii other gears.

The invention poeeesses' other edvemar geous features, some of which with the foregoing wili be 'set forth of; length in the foiiowing description Where-K shell outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected foriliussretion in the drawings eecompenying and forming part of the ,131es-.

out specification. in such chteivings 1 have shown oniy one s eolfic iormof genemo inveniiion, but it is to be understood that I 7 do not limit myself 3mm form, because my invention may be embodied in e multiplicity of forms. each being a. species of my seiogmvention. I": is also onc'ierseood that by the chime succeeding the oesoription of my inventioii E deeire to sever the invention in whatever one it may be embodied.

Referi iog or; said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertieei section of part of the eppareeus of my invention, a of the gear box be ing broken away to reduce the size of the figure. Fig. .2 is e, iongimimi section of him oppereme oi my izivezotio'n, port or? the gear box being woken away and the control meoim iis n bezig shown in foil. 3 is e ver sioei seozion of the distributing valve.

The apparatus of my invention is particuentomoiviies, motor trucks, railway -mo'tor cars and the iiii'e, which are driven by in. ternei oomiausizioe engines, and is useci to vary the speed of rotation of the driven shaft or axle Wifoh r'eieeion the speed of the motor. The gear s'iiiftingeppere'ius is power operated; and is eonetruoted so that ,ehe initial movement ofan eiemeiii moves the enmeshed gears outlo f mesh, or into neutral position, and ihe flll'ililfil movement of the element-brings other geam i-nto'meeh. The power employed in eke 'presen'; instance is compressed air, him it is to he understood that otherfiiiiiis mey foe empioyeci.

In the present construction i have shown a gear set. capo-bio of prociuoing three iifieremspeed ratios, but it is to be understood that the numioei' speed mtios be increased or decreeseci according to the requirements of the service. The ease 2 in the present construction contains two parallel roizeiebie shefis 3 3:, either of Whioh may fee the driving" but for purpose of convenience Z shell ciesignete shaft 3 driving sheik), and shaftthe ciz'iven Shaft. "lhe shaft 3 is eoimeo' sed. "30 the engine or motor, preferably through the medium of e clutch and when employed on Gear 12- is adapted to be moved into enci out of mesh with gear 5, gear 13 with gear 6, and gear 14 with geer- 7, producing three sets of gears, eeoh set-being designed to preciuce e ciiiferen b speed ratio. and 1% ereprovidefi 'Wiilil eolie;

--l3--1 F-, which ere rengegefii by yo 12"13 14 which are preferably formed integral with the brackets 121314, which are secured to rods or shafts 12 13 -149 bearing in the casing 2 and slidable longitudinally therein, the movement of either rod serving to. move the corresponding gear into or out of mesh with its mate.

The rods 1213 -1l' are preferably arranged above the shaft 3 and adjacent the top of the casing 2 and are arranged in a common plane. Secured to each rod, preferably at the end, is an irregular shaped element 15 having a plurality of depressions and elevations, which is engaged by spring pressed knobs or balls 16, secured to the casing. The balls or knobs seat in the depressions and hold the rods from accidental movement, but do not .prevent the rods from being moved when the proper-pressure is applied thereto. The elements 15 are of such length that the rods are held against accidental movement when the gears are in mesh or out of mesh.

I shall now describe the means which I have shown for moving the rods 12 13 lai to move the gears into and out of mesh. The rods 12 131l project from the casing 2 and extend into the casing 17, lying preferably adjacent the bottom thereof. Secured to each rod is an abutment 12- 13 -14: which preferably consists of two nuts screwed into tight contact with each.

other so that they are locked against movement with relation to the rods. Normally the abutments are alined. Secured to each rod at an equal distance from the abutment are brackets 1213-14 which extend upward and which are provided on their upper ends with sleeves, slidably engaging rods 12 13-1l respectively. The rods 12 1314 are provided with abutments 12 13"14c which are adapted to engage the brackets 12 13.1 l respectively and move them to the left, thereby bringing the corresponding gears into engagement. In the present construction each rod 12 43 14 is provided with a piston 12 13"-14.- which is disposed in the cylinder 12"13 145- respectively, into which air or steam under pressure may be admitted. The admisably bifurcated and surround-the rods 12 l3 14 respectively. Pivoted to the upper end of each lever 12*13-14 is a spring held latch 22 which is adapted to be engaged by the abutmcnts 121314c respectively on the rods 1213-14 as the rods are moved to the left. The abutments 12- l3 -lt are preferably conical in shape so that upon the return of the rod the abutment will readily trip past the latch. The levers 12 -13 14E are secured together so that they move in unison. After being moved to the left by the compressed air or other power, the rods 12131 1 are re-. turned to their normal position by the springs 12"13"14".

The initial movement of any rod 12 13 14 toward the left, operates through the abutments 12*13'14*, levers 12 13 14 and abutments 121314 to move the rod 12 13 14 which is in its left position, toward the right, disengaging the engaged gears, and the further movement of the rod moves the corresponding rod 12 13 -14= to the left engaging other gears. A fourth rod 32, havingan abutment 32 and engaging in a cylinder 32 is employed for the purpose of moving the enmeshed gears into neutral or disengaged position only. A lever secured to shaft 21 is engaged by abutment 32*, causing shaft 21 to rotate and thereby moving the engaged gear rod 121314 to the right ,and disengaging the gears. The rod 32 is also returned to its normal position by means of a spring 32".

Air under pressure for moving the pistons is taken from the supply tank Between the tank 33 and the cylinders is a distributing valve 34 which is provided with a handle 35 which. may be readily set to place the tank in communication with one cylinder only. Between the distributing valve and the tank is a control valve 36 which controls the passage of air to the distributing valve. When it is desired to shift from one gear ratio to the other the distributing valve is set at the proper position, the clutch connecting the driving shaft with, the motor, if a clutch is employed, is disengaged-and the valve 36 opened. The engaged gears are therebydisengaged and a-pair of disengaged gears engaged. The opening of the valve 36 is only for sufficient time to cause the piston to move for its full stroke and is usually but momentary.

The, operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that gears 5 and 12 are in mesh and that it is desirable to change from the speed ratio of these gears to the speed ratio of gears 6 and 13. The distributing valve is set to place cylinder 13 in communicationwith the pressure tank and valve 36 is opened. Rod 13 is then moved toward the left, abutment 15$ contacts with latch 22 on the lever 13 causing shaft 21 to be rocked. The movement of the shaft causes lever 12 to engage abutment 12 on rod 12 and move that rod to the right, moving gear 12 out of mesh with gear 5, thereby placing all of the gears in the neutral position. The further movement of rod 13* brings abutment 13" in plurality of of different {limo versel v into and out of enmgemeni;

cont-lies bracket 2:

moving; A When the vslve 536 suiiieieni leakage in passage 15* is piovmeo. 10 C182 13 to eizlieusfib past the so the; the rod. 13 is Y'eil goes 'on by the :11"

On 1 remiin of U; trips post the lately. When is p Elli V :leim: 1' :1 vw'iabie see of transversely le of eomplemeniarv pied o engaged by solo. i'oovalile 211:; operated errm gefl to mo e so. able gears" mmsv ly, the

continuous movemeiil;

evoking to l V the eng'zq e. :ms, ilio follo J g poi n of one moon;

said means operoi/io disengaged gears. V

2. The combination Willi 'pim'alitf/ mentary ears each, adapted to engage. one of said ii; L named gears, of power operated in oils adapted in the initial siege of a continuous movement to move the gears out of mesh.

8. The COIlZlZlDillilOll with a shaft, having a plurality of of difieiont dmn'i liei's cured thereto, and a parallel shalt lowing :1

bible spee l gearing including eempiemeiiia y a o other gears adapted to be moved a svflLll said complementary gears, of? i 73 it whe-j to each of said movable and pow operated means for moving" said mo /ab, gears into and out of engageziient with said complementary gears the initial movement of said means operat g to move ishe engaged movable gen? into neutral position, and the further movement of said means in'the same variable plem nia y gears and to be move; trans n were out with aiily of movable :1 of one Z'OilS, :iisvei'sely of said to said Took used. its initiai e 11d. by imrod 111 with 2i variable speeo; oiemeniory gears and m be move wens n at who rods each gem-s, an :11 lJfzLQiiGl;

operating SLli voek uxtapo at me oc-liei" encl mpositioii with said operating rods, means .0: moving said O' 'lQlffltlng rods and zilmmnenis on said opei'eiving arranged LC on sziid levers and brook 7. combination '1 a variable speed Ii'i: g 'nelmiiiig complementary gears and 0m aalzm'ted to e moved trans-- vei'soly into 21ml e Y of on; gement i sold complemenmry of o .urelisy of rods, each siitaeli to one of said movable gears, on ointment on of said rods, a pl: '1 of levers fixed tog: leg. each. arlegli cl "0 enone of suizl neii'tsl, a plurality of opemiing rodsparallel. to said mined l .4 ms for moving, saicl operating rods in one direction, on abumeni on each of said rods zzlapted to engage saigl levers (luring she iniiial movement of the operating rod and thereby move the enbiesliecl gear into nil position, and means operative by the i-. k118i" movement of the operating rod Lo move another gear into mes. ell position.

8. The combination with a variable speed gearing including" complementary geais and 'ocls,

ziutinents, 3116i gear which was previously in mesh is moved .to the neutral position and another movable gear 1s then moved from the neutral pos1- tion into mesh with its complementary gear.

9. In a variable speed gearing, a plurality of transversely movable gears, a plurality of complementary gears adapted to be singly engaged by said movable gears, power oper ated means arranged to mox e said movable gears transversely, the initial portion of a continuous movement of said means operating to disengage the engaged gears and the following portion of the movement of said means operating to engage a pair of disengaged gears and means for returning said 1-5 power operated means to its normal position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 18th day of May, 1914.

ELBERT J. HALL.

In presence'of H. G. PRos'r, P. S. PIDWELL. 

